Yemen rejects claims it plans to impose transit fees on Red Sea shipping
Yemen’s Ansarullah-controlled maritime coordination body has dismissed reports that it is considering imposing transit fees on commercial vessels passing through the Bab al-Mandab Strait, saying no such decision has been taken.
Yemen’s Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center (HOCC) said in a statement on Saturday that commercial vessels continue to enjoy free passage through the Red Sea and that no plan is currently in place to levy charges on ships transiting the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
The statement was issued in response to a Reuters report published on Wednesday, which cited regional sources as saying that Yemeni authorities are considering a proposal to impose fees on vessels passing through the southern Red Sea.
Rejecting the report, Yemeni officials said the country’s “safe passage services” remain voluntary and are provided without charge.
The statement also warned ship operators against individuals or entities claiming to represent Yemeni authorities in exchange for payment.
“Any individual or entity requesting the payment of money in exchange for transiting the Bab el-Mandeb Strait does not represent the Republic of Yemen or HOCC in any capacity whatsoever,” it said.
The latest development comes amid heightened tensions between Yemen and Saudi Arabia.
The escalation follows Saudi airstrikes on Sana’a International Airport last month to halt humanitarian flights carrying patients and stranded civilians.
In response, Yemeni forces struck Saudi’s Abha International Airport with ballistic missiles and drones. The armed forces also announced a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia to end the 12-year Saudi-led siege.
President of Yemen’s Supreme Political Council Mahdi al-Mashat has said the only path to ending the ongoing hostilities and establishing peace is an unconditional halt to Saudi Arabia’s blockade and aggression against the Arab country.
“Should the aggression persist and the siege is not lifted, any dialogue and agreement will be nothing but an illusion and a mirage,” Mashat warned.
He said the Yemeni Armed Forces’ retaliatory operations are a legitimate exercise of the country’s right to self-defense and are carried out in line with the just demands of the Yemeni people.
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